Letter 3 Original Front
Letter 3 Original Reverse
Letter 3 Enhanced Front
Letter 3 Enhanced Reverse
THE
CORRESPONDANCE BETWEEN ROBERT BOND JR. (1819- 1894) AND WIFE SARAH ANN (MAIDEN
NAME “FISK”—1823-1909) BETWEEN 1862 AND 1868
From the Mary/Sue collection
Transcription of
Letter “3”—from Robert to Sarah
9 December 1862—Date
Provided in Letter
Transcribed by William
B. Bond—Sept., 2013
FRONT
SIDE:
December
9th, 1862
Waretford, Misseippe1
Dear Wife
I set my sulfe2
Doon3 to let
you no4 how I ham5
to day6
I ham7 wall8 hoping
thee9 lines will
find you the same we are hav10
fine
wather11 her12 Well
you see that
I hav13 a Cooking14
I shall get, 18
Dollars pe15 month, you
now16 wot17
is goine18 on as I do
by the new19
I
will send you sum20
papers, papers and sum20
Books I
got them wen21 I was on
preet22 today
the bugs hav12 to sufer23
wer24 we go
this looks hard but we cant25
help it So this is the way it
go26 So good By27 Sarah A Bond
esxq28 thee9
fue29 lines from your me
Robert
Bond your30 truly
I wod31 like to get one
letter a
Weak32 the me this
month
REVERSE
SIDE:
I Low
will sed33 LeleA and WillieB
a paper So
be a good gail34 and
boy and I
shal35 love you
exsque36
this fore37 I have to
Write on a stump
get sum20
Reals38 mad39 if
you can
you hav13
my love fore
haver40
your30 truely41
Robert Bond
I Will let
you now4 how it looks
her12
this eving42 ther43 is
hunders44
of coump45 fire46 it is
palshunt47
to look Rond48 and
se49
them But I sud50 like
to see your
letel51 cose52 home
But can not
hat22 of22 Ee22 Tont22
I must go to
beed53 I Dream
Of you mos54
evry55 nite56
so good bey57
for this time
FOOTNOTES:
1. Waterford, Mississippi.
2. self
3. down
4. know
5. am
6. today
7. am
8. well
9.
these
10. having
11. weather
12. here
13. have
14. There appears to be a stain on the letter at
the left middle, and writing on top of previously written words. Perhaps Robert
spilled some of his “cooking” on the letter and made reference to it.
15. per
16. know
17. what
18. going
19. news
20. some
21. when
22.
uncertain of this word
23. suffer
24. where
25. can’t
26. goes
27. goodbye
28. esq? (for “esquire”?)
29. few
30. yours
31. would
32. week
33. send
34. girl
35. shall
36. excuse
37. for
38. reels—probably skeins of wool which can be
sold to get money.
39. made
40. forever
41. truly
42. evening
43. there
44. hundreds
45. camp
46. fires
47. pleasant
48. around
49. see
50. should
51. little
52. cozy
53. bed
54. almost
55. every
56. night
57. goodbye
LIST OF INDIVIDUALS MENTIONED:
A. Luella Hortense “Lele” Bond (1856-1893)—Third
oldest child and daughter of Robert and Sarah
B.
William Othello “Willie” Bond (1860-1928)—Fourth oldest child and only son of
Robert and Sarah.
ADDITIONAL NOTES:
NOTE 1:
Reading this letter is a challenge due
to the unusual spelling and grammar. In some cases I had to take a “best guess”
as to what was written. But it should be remembered that this letter was
written “in the field” most likely under very difficult circumstances. So it is
a treasure that it exists at all. It should be noted that Robert’s handwriting
and spelling improved as time went on and he wrote more letters home.
If
anyone who examines a scan of the original can better make out what the words
are or can see anywhere that there is an error in the transcription, I would
welcome their input.
The
following is my attempt at a transcription of the entire letter with spelling
and grammar corrected:
FRONT SIDE:
December 9th, 1862
Waterford,
Mississippi
Dear
wife
I
set myself down to let
you know how I am today.
I am well, hoping these lines will
find you the same. We are having
fine
weather here. Well, you see that
I have (been) cooking. I shall get,
18
dollars per month. You know what
is going on as I do by the news.
I
will send you some
papers, papers and some books. I
got them when I was on ??? today.
The bugs (we) have to suffer where
we go.
This looks hard but we can’t
help it. So this is the way it
goes. So goodbye, Sarah A Bond
esq. These few lines from me
Robert
Bond, yours truly.
I would like to get one letter
a week to me this month.
REVERSE SIDE:
I will send Lele and Willie
a paper, so be a good girl and
boy and I shall love you.
Excuse this for I have to
write on a stump.
Get some reels made if
you can.
You have my love for-
ever.
Yours
truly,
Robert
Bond
I will let you know how it looks
here this evening. There (are)
hundreds of camp fires—it is
pleasant to look around and
see them. But I should like
to see your little cozy home,
but I can not ??? ??? ??? ???
I must go to bed. I dream
of you almost every night.
So goodbye for this time.
NOTE 2: The reference below
states that “The Twelfth camped on the 30th (November 30th, 1862)
near Waterford, at Lumpkin’s Mill, Mississippi, seven miles north of the
Tallahatchie. About the 10th of December the regiment accompanied
the general movement southward. On the 12th, it encamped at Yocona
Creek.”
Wisconsin At Vicksburg: Report Of
The Wisconsin-Vicksburg Monument Commission, Including The Story Of The
Campaign And Siege Of Vicksburg In 1863 With ... The Activities Therein Of
Wisconsin Troops... - Wisconsin-Vicksburg Monument
Commission
So
“Waretford, Misseippe” written on the original document is really “Waterford,
Mississippi”.
NOTE 3: This letter was written
on the front and back of a single sheet of paper. There is an “embossed seal”
indicating the paper manufacturer at the upper left of the front side as was
common on many papers of the time. The embossed seal is oval in shape and it
looks like there is the image of the U. S. Capitol Building inside the oval It
seems to be the same as the embossed seal on letter 8. The letter seems to be
complete.
NOTE 4:
This letter describes the daily life of Robert while serving with the
Wisconsin Volunteers during the Civil War. The major topics are the health of
each other, finances, camp life, and a short note to Robert’s two youngest
children. This is a very loving letter Robert wrote to his wife Sarah.
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